COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Twenty-fifth Session
Pre-sessional Working Group
5-9 June 2000
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
List of issues to be taken up in connection with the
consideration of the initial report of Slovakia
(CRC/C/11/Add.17)
General measures of implementation
(arts. 4, 42 and 44 para. 6)
1. Given that the Convention takes precedence over law, according to article 11 of the Constitution, please provide examples, if any, of when the provisions of the Convention have been invoked in courts, especially courts of first instance.
2. Please provide information on the Centre for Human Rights; and the Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, particularly:
(a) what functions do they perform;
(b) what is the relationship between these institutions; and
(c) do these institutions have a particular programme or focus on children's rights?
3. Please provide information on developments to establish:
(a) a Coordination Committee on the Rights of the Child under the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and the Family; and
(b) the Office of the Ombudsman.
4. In accordance with article 42 of the Convention, please indicate what measures are being taken by the State party in a systematic and targeted manner to:
(a) raise the awareness about the principles and provisions of the Convention (e.g. among legislators, central and local government officials, community-based organizations, the mass media, and the public-at-large, including children themselves); and
(b) train professional groups and individuals working with and for children about the Convention, particularly at the local level.
5 In light of article 4 of the Convention regarding the implementation, to the maximum extent of available resources, of economic, social and cultural rights of children, please indicate:
(a) what assessment has been conducted of the impact of budgetary allocations, especially in the health, education and other social sectors, on the most vulnerable groups of children; and
(b) for the reporting period and 2000, the budgetary allocation in percentages for the above sectors.
General principles
(arts. 2, 3, 6 and 12)
6. In accordance with article 2 of the Convention, concerning non-discrimination,
(i) Please indicate what measures have been taken to:
(a) promulgate legislation expressly prohibiting discrimination of national minorities, including the Roma, in areas such as education, housing, residence, health care, and employment, and ensure effective enforcement thereof, especially at local levels; and
(b) improve reporting of racially-motivated attacks, since many are not reported, and ensure timely and effective investigations, and prosecutions thereof.
(ii) Please provide information on the progress of implementation of the 1999 Strategy of the Slovak Republic for the Solution of the Problems of the Roma National Minority?
7. In accordance with article 3 of the Convention, please indicate how the best interests of the child is a primary consideration in all actions concerning children (e.g. undertaken by public or private welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies).
8. In light of article 12 of the Convention concerning the right to express views, please indicate:
(a) in what circumstances the child is provided the opportunity to be heard directly in any judicial and administrative proceeding affecting him/or her;
(b) what steps are being taken by the State party to promote and facilitate within the family, the school, care institutions, and the courts respect for the views of children, and their participation in all matters affecting them; and
(c) for 1999 (with reference to para. 31 of the report) in how many cases regarding the care of minors, the minor is actually heard and the ages of the children in question;
(d) what assessment has been made on the effectiveness of the activities of the Children's Parliament for children in institutions,
(e) the composition of pupil representation in School Councils by grade; and
(f) how article 12 of the Convention is reflected in the amendment to the Family Code (with reference to para. 29 of the report), and what is the status of the amendment.
Family environment and alternative care
(arts. 5, 18 paras. 1 and 2, 9-11, 27 para. 4, 20-21, 19 and 39 and 25)
9. In accordance with articles 19 and 39 of the Convention, concerning ill-treatment and rehabilitation, please indicate:
(a) what legal provisions exist to protect children from being ill-treated in homes, schools, care institutions, detention facilities, and by the police;
(b) what mechanisms exist for children to file complaints, and for mandatory reporting (e.g. by teachers and police), investigating, prosecuting and monitoring cases of child abuse;
(c) what steps are being taken by the State party to prevent ill-treatment of children and to raise awareness of its negative consequences, and to overcome socio-cultural barriers which inhibit victims seeking assistance; and
(d) what studies have been undertaken concerning the extent and factors underlying abuse, including sexual abuse, and how has this information been used as a basis to design policies to address this phenomenon.
10. With respect to article 20 of the Convention, concerning alternative care,
(i) Please provide recent information (i.e. population disaggregated by age, sex, and including children with disabilities and Roma children) on:
(a) children in alternative care institutions (e.g. children's homes); and
(b) children in foster-care.
(iii) Please describe the prevailing conditions facing children in alternative care.
(iv) Please provide information about mechanisms to periodically review placements in institutions and foster-care, and their effectiveness.
(v) Please indicate what measures have been taken, and the progress made to prevent and reduce institutionalization of children.
(vi) Please provide information on programmes for strengthening of families.
(vii) Please provide information on the activities of the Committee for Protection of Children's Rights in Institutional Care.
11. With respect to article 21 of the Convention, concerning adoption,
(ii) Please provide recent data on adoptions, including intercountry adoptions.
(iii) What is the State party's position concerning the anonymity of parents in cases of adoption, either simple or irrevocable?
(iv) Please indicate what developments have taken place with respect to the State party's consideration of accession to the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption?
Basic Health and Welfare
(arts. 6 para. 2, 23, 24, 26 and 18 para. 3 and 27 paras. 1-3)
12. In light of article 23 of the Convention, concerning children with disabilities, please indicate what steps have been taken, and the progress made by the State party to:
(a) ensuring accessibility to buildings, and transportation;
(b) providing rehabilitation and support services for families;
(c) achieve inclusive education.
13. In light of article 24 of the Convention, please indicate what measures have been taken to:
(a) ensure safe water supply for the population; and
(b) address threats to the health of children due to environmental degradation.
14. Please indicate what:
(a) studies have been undertaken concerning the extent and factors underlying adolescent health problems, including mental and reproductive health, substance abuse, STD's and HIV/AIDS; and
(b) measures have been taken to provide access to child-friendly counselling, and undertake comprehensive health education within schools.
15. In light of article 26 of the Convention, concerning social security, please indicate how the new social security system (reference to para. 132 of the report) will implement provisions of the Convention.
16. In light of article 27 of the Convention, concerning adequate standard of living, please provide information on:
(a) the extent and situation of children living and/or working on the streets; and
(b) examples of measures taken to address this issue, such as training of professionals working with these children, and services for reconciliation with families.
Education, leisure and cultural activities
(arts. 28, 29 and 31)
17. Please indicate the progress of implementation of the Education for All programme.
18. In light of article 29 of the Convention, concerning aims of education, please provide an assessment of the effectiveness of human rights education undertaken pursuant to General Assembly resolution 53/153 on the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education 1995-2004.
Special protection measures
(arts. 22, 30, 32-40)
19. In light of article 22 of the Convention, concerning refugee and asylum-seeking children,
(v) Please indicate what:
(a) consideration has been given to adopt legislation on family reunification so that it corresponds to international standards;
(b) consideration has been given to accede to the 1954 Convention on stateless persons, and the 1961 Convention on the reduction of statelessness, and to adopt national legislation in conformity with these instruments; and
(c) what measures are established to ensure that refugee children are not separated from their parents.
(ii) Please provide statistical data regarding post-primary education for refugee children.
20. In accordance with articles 37, 40, and 39, concerning juvenile justice,
(vi) Please indicate:
(a) what review has been undertaken to ensure that all legislation relevant to offenders under 18 are in line with the Convention and other international standards;
(b) what review has been undertaken to assess the efficacy of the present system of juvenile justice; and
(c) the measures taken to ensure contact between the child and his/her family;
(d) the prevailing conditions in detention, and how they are monitored;
(e) whether there are independent complaint procedures to deal with issues such as ill-treatment, and how effective are these procedures;
(f) education, health and other social facilities; and
(g) services for the recovery and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders, and their effectiveness.
(ii) Please provide disaggregated data on juvenile offenders.
21. What measures have been taken to pursue enforcement of child labour standards, including in the informal sector, and particularly with respect to Roma children?
22. Please indicate what studies have the State party undertaken, and the measures adopted, to address substance abuse, including the use of alcohol and tobacco, among children.
23. Please indicate what:
(a) studies have the State party undertaken concerning the causes and extent of commercial sexual exploitation of children;
(b) steps are being taken by the State party to raise awareness and undertake public education campaigns relating to commercial sexual exploitation of children;
(c) mechanisms are in place to provide for a mandatory system of reporting and monitoring of these phenomena;
(d) with reference to paragraph 66 of the report, what assessment has been done of measures introduced in 1997 to combat child pornography and sexual abuse (e.g. the training of specialized police officers); and
(e) consideration has been taken to adopt a comprehensive Plan of Action as follow-up to the 1996 Stockholm World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.